🕊️ The Singing Cathedral: the miracle of the Santo Domingo de la Calzada chicken is still alive on the Camino de Santiago
One of the most beloved legends of the Camino de Santiago revives every day in La Rioja, where a hen and a rooster remember a miracle that occurred more than 700 years ago.
Santo Domingo de la Calzada (Rioja) — In the middle of the Camino de Santiago, the Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada keeps one of the most surprising symbols of the Jacobean pilgrimage: a chicken coop with a white hen and a rooster that live inside the temple. Their song is the echo of a miraculous story that has transcended the centuries and continues to captivate thousands of visitors.
According to tradition, in the 14th century a young German pilgrim was unjustly accused of theft and sentenced to hanging. His parents, heartbroken, asked for help from Saint Dominic, the saint who had built bridges and roads to facilitate the passage of pilgrims. Miraculously, the young man was found I live hanging from the scaffold, protected by the intercession of the saint.
When the parents notified the magistrate of the miracle, he, incredulous, was preparing to eat a roast chicken and exclaimed:
“Your son is as alive as this chicken on my plate!”
In that moment, the chicken jumped off the plate and started singing, leaving everyone present stunned. Since then, a pair of white birds has inhabited the cathedral, reminding pilgrims that faith and miracles also walk with them.
Today, those who come to Santo Domingo de la Calzada can admire this unique Gothic chicken coop in the world, witness to a tradition that unites history, devotion and legend.
And, as the famous popular saying goes:
“Santo Domingo de la Calzada, where the hen sang after being roasted.”
